I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8991 

To amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to prohibit a person 

from engaging in the business of destroying firearms unless such person 

has received a license to do so from the Attorney General, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 10, 2024 

Mr. SCHIFF (for himself, Mr. GOLDMAN of New York, Mr. AMO, and Mr. 

FROST) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to 

prohibit a person from engaging in the business of destroying firearms unless such person has received a license to do so from the Attorney General, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Firearm Destruction 

5 Licensure Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. LICENSE REQUIRED TO ENGAGE IN THE BUSINESS 

2 OF DESTROYING FIREARMS. 

3 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 921(a) of title 18, United 

4 States Code, is amended— 

5 (1) in paragraph (11)— 

6 (A) by striking ‘‘or (C)’’ and inserting 

7 ‘‘(C)’’; and 

8 (B) by inserting ‘‘, or (D) any person who 

9 is a firearm destroyer’’ after ‘‘pawnbroker’’; 

10 (2) in paragraph (21)— 

11 (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) 

12 and (F) as subparagraphs (F) and (G), respec13 tively; and 

14 (B) by inserting after subparagraph (D) 

15 the following: 

16 ‘‘(E) as applied to destroying firearms, engag17 ing in a business or occupation that includes receiv18 ing a firearm for the purposes of destroying such 

19 firearm;’’; and 

20 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

21 ‘‘(38) The term ‘firearm destroyer’— 

22 ‘‘(A) means any person engaged in the business 

23 of destroying firearms; and 

24 ‘‘(B) does not include a local law enforcement 

25 authority, Federal law enforcement agency, or any 


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1 other entity of a Federal, State, local, or Tribal gov2 ernment. 

3 ‘‘(39) The term ‘covered method of firearm destruc4 tion’ means a method that renders a firearm and all parts, 

5 attachments, accessories, or other components received 

6 with such firearm unable to be restored to working condi7 tion and otherwise reduced to scrap.’’. 

8 (b) UNLAWFUL ACTS.—Section 922 of title 18, 

9 United States Code, is amended— 

10 (1) in subsection (a)(1)— 

11 (A) in subparagraph (A) by striking ‘‘; or’’ 

12 and inserting a semicolon; 

13 (B) in subparagraph (B) by adding ‘‘or’’ 

14 at the end; and 

15 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(C) except a licensed dealer to engage in 

17 the business of destroying firearms;’’; and 

18 (2) in subsection (u) by inserting ‘‘destroying,’’ 

19 after ‘‘manufacturing,’’. 

20 (c) LICENSING.—Section 923 of title 18, United 

21 States Code, is amended— 

22 (1) in subsection (a) by inserting ‘‘destroying,’’ 

23 before ‘‘or dealing’’; 

24 (2) in subsection (d)(1)(G)— 


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1 (A) by striking ‘‘that secure’’ and inserting 

2 the following: ‘‘that— 

3 ‘‘(i) secure’’; 

4 (B) by striking the period at the end and 

5 inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

6 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(ii) if the applicant receives a firearm 

8 from a local law enforcement authority, Federal 

9 law enforcement agency, or any other entity of 

10 a Federal, State, local, or Tribal government 

11 for the purposes of destroying such firearm, the 

12 applicant will destroy such firearm using a cov13 ered method of firearm destruction.’’; 

14 (3) in subsection (g)— 

15 (A) in paragraph (1)(A) by inserting ‘‘de16 struction,’’ after ‘‘sale,’’; and 

17 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(8)(A) Not later than 1 year after the effective date 

19 of the Firearm Destruction Licensure Act of 2024, and 

20 each year thereafter, each licensed dealer who is a firearm 

21 destroyer shall submit a report to the Director of the Bu22 reau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on the 

23 number of firearms the licensed dealer destroyed during 

24 the previous year, including the number of firearms that 

25 the licensed dealer— 


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1 ‘‘(i) received for the purposes of destroying 

2 such firearms; 

3 ‘‘(ii) received from a local law enforcement au4 thority, Federal law enforcement agency, or any 

5 other entity of a Federal, State, local, or Tribal gov6 ernment and destroyed using a covered method of 

7 firearm destruction; and 

8 ‘‘(iii) destroyed other than pursuant to clause 

9 (ii), including the number of firearms whereby the li10 censed dealer destroyed the frame, receiver, or other 

11 part, attachment, accessory, or other component of 

12 a firearm but did not render all parts, attachments, 

13 accessories, or other components received with such 

14 firearm unable to be restored to working condition 

15 and otherwise reduced to scrap. 

16 ‘‘(B) The Attorney General, acting through the Di17 rector of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and 

18 Explosives, shall make publicly available— 

19 ‘‘(i) each report submitted under subparagraph 

20 (A); and 

21 ‘‘(ii) an aggregate of the information submitted 

22 under subparagraph (A).’’; and 

23 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

24 ‘‘(m) A licensed dealer who receives a firearm from 

25 a local law enforcement authority, Federal law enforceVerDate Sep 11 2014 07:10 Aug 14, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8991.IH H8991

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1 ment agency, or any other entity of a Federal, State, local, 

2 or Tribal government for the purposes of destroying such 

3 firearm shall— 

4 ‘‘(1) destroy such firearm using a covered 

5 method of firearm destruction, unless the licensed 

6 dealer and such entity agree otherwise; and 

7 ‘‘(2) make publicly available information re8 garding any amount the licensed dealer charges a 

9 local law enforcement authority, Federal law en10 forcement agency, or any other entity of a Federal, 

11 State, local, or Tribal government to destroy fire12 arms.’’. 

13 (d) PENALTIES.—Section 924(a)(5) of title 18, 

14 United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘(a)(1)(C),’’ 

15 before ‘‘(s) or (t)’’. 

16 (e) GRANTS FOR DESTROYING FIREARMS.—The 

17 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Public Law 

18 103–159) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘SEC. 107. GRANTS FOR DESTROYING FIREARMS. 

20 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not later than 1 year 

21 after the effective date of the Firearm Destruction Licen22 sure Act of 2024, the Attorney General, acting through 

23 the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms 

24 and Explosives, shall award grants to eligible entities for 


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1 the purposes of paying a licensed dealer to destroy fire2 arms using a covered method of firearm destruction. 

3 ‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 ‘‘(1) COVERED METHOD OF FIREARM DESTRUC5 TION; LICENSED DEALER.—The terms ‘covered 

6 method of firearm destruction’ and ‘licensed dealer’ 

7 have the meanings given such terms in section 

8 921(a) of title 18, United States Code. 

9 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en10 tity’ means a State, local, or Tribal government. 

11 ‘‘(3) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means each of 

12 the several States, the District of Columbia, and any 

13 commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United 

14 States. 

15 ‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

16 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

17 such sums as may be necessary.’’. 

18 (f) APPLICABILITY; RULEMAKING.— 

19 (1) APPLICABILITY.— 

20 (A) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made 

21 by this section shall apply with respect to a 

22 dealer who obtains a license under section 923 

23 of title 18, United States Code, prior to the ef24 fective date of this section. 


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1 (B) CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE.— 

2 Not later than the effective date of this section, 

3 a dealer who obtains a license under section 

4 923 of title 18, United States Code, prior to the 

5 effective date of this section shall submit to the 

6 Attorney General the certification required 

7 under section 923(d)(1)(G)(ii) of such title (as 

8 amended by this Act). 

9 (C) FAILURE TO COMPLY.—The Attorney 

10 General may, after notice and opportunity for 

11 hearing, revoke the license of a dealer issued 

12 under section 923 of title 18, United States 

13 Code, if the holder of such license willfully vio14 lates subparagraph (B). 

15 (2) RULEMAKING.—Not later than 180 days 

16 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney 

17 General, acting through the Director of the Bureau 

18 of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, shall 

19 issue a final rule to implement this section, including 

20 by prescribing— 

21 (A) acceptable methods of destruction to 

22 render a firearm and all parts, attachments, ac23 cessories, or other components received with 

24 such firearm unable to be restored to working 

25 condition and otherwise reduced to scrap; and 


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1 (B) records or documents required to be 

2 kept by a licensed dealer who is a firearm de3 stroyer. 

4 (3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection, the 

5 terms ‘‘dealer’’, ‘‘firearm destroyer’’, and ‘‘licensed 

6 dealer’’ have the meanings given such terms in sec7 tion 921(a) of title 18, United States Code (as 

8 amended by this Act). 

9 (g) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

10 this Act shall take effect 180 days after the date of enact11 ment of this Act. 

Æ 


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